augustus low



(No Model.)

L. K. JOHNSON & A. A. LOW.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS. No. 337,407. Patented Mar. 9,1886.

UNrTnn STATES ATENT Orrrcn.

I LOUIS K. JOHNSON AND A. AUGUSTUS LOU, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNORS TC THEALDEN TYPE MACHINE COMPANY, OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,407, dated March 9,1886.

Application filed March 6, 1885. Serial No. 157,862. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS K. JOHNSON and A. AUGUSTUS Low, citizens ofthe United States, residing in the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Type-Distributing Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

Our improvements relate to the distribution x0 by hand of types intosuitable type-containing channels, in which the types are arranged in aprescribed position, one against the other, in lines or columns whichare adapted for use in the type-setting apparatus.

1: The main feature of our present invention consists in thecombination, with such containing-channel, of a combined type-receivingand forwarding device,into or upon the upper part of which the types maybe dropped, and

by which they will be conducted into the containing-channels, andsubsequently forwarded therein by motion imparted by hand or treadle tothe said combined receiving and forwarding device.

Heretofore somewhat similar receivers or conduits have been used inconnection with type containing or transfer channels; but in such casesthey have been stationary with relation to the containing-channels, andan independently-vibrating pusher or forwarding device has beennecessary to forward the types in the containing channels. Ve dispenseentirely with this independently vibrating pusher or forwarding deviceby making the receivers themselves capable of forwarding the type intheir respective containingchannels.

This we accomplish by pivoting or otherwise securing each or a series ofthe receivers in such manner that their lower ends may be made toadvance into the containing-channels, and thereby forward the types whenthe upper or receiving ends of the receivers are depressed by hand ortreadle. As this depression may be effected while depositing the types 45 into the said upper extremities of the receivers withlittle-additional labor and without loss of time, the use of auxiliarypower for this purpose is dispensed with entirely. The receivers arearranged to return automatically to their normal position when releasedfrom the pressure of the hand or treadle by means of eithercounterpoise-weights or retractile springs.

Our invention also includes the use of a swinging or yielding guard nearthe upper 5 end of the receiver, which, while it does not positivelyprevent the passage of type if the latter is resting upon its edgeinstead of upon its flat side, still has a tendency to gently turn suchtype over upon its flat side while passing 6o thereunder.

In the accompanying drawings our imp rovements are represented asapplied only to a single type-containing channel, it being understoodthat any desired number may be combined and used in conjunction, sincethe construction in such case would be substantially the same.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top view of one of our combined receiversand forwarders attached to one end of a typecontaining channel; Fig. 2,a central vertical longitudinal sec- I tion; Fig. 3, a front view, andFig. 4 a rear View, of the same; Figs. 5 and 6, respectlve side and endviews of a detachable fulcrum plate or coupling between the receiver andthe type-containing channel. Fig. 7 is an elevation of one extremity oftheLtype-contaim ing channel.

The type-containing channel A is of the ordinary construction shown inour previous applications. It may be permanently provided with the typereceiver and forwarder B, if desired, in which case its side walls willbe extended sufficiently at one end to afford bearings for the fulcrumb; but We prefer to make the combined receiver and forwarder Bdetachable, and to this end we form the typechannel A with the lateralperforations a. These perforations a correspond to and may 0 be used forthesame purpose as those described in our application No. 144,776, whileat the same time they afford a convenient means of securing thecoupling-plates Oto thcend of the type-containing channel A. Thiscouplingplate 0 may be varied considerably in form, its office beingsimply to connect the two devices togetherin proper relation to eachother.

As shown in the drawings, it is provided with a downwardly-projectingtongue, 0, which en- 10o ters the channel A, and which is perforated tocorrespond to the perforations a in the side walls of the typecontainiugchannels, so that a pin or key, d, may be used to hold the partstogether. It is also formed with shoulders c c, which rest upon theupper edges of the type-channel walls, and with projecting lugs c" 0 towhich the under side of the receiver B is secured by the pivot b. Thereceiver B is in the form of the ordinary typeconduit, I), provided atits upper end with an enlarged but converging receiving-surface, b". Theside walls of the receiver may be made to terminate and merge into thisreceiving-surface b in such manner as to leave its extreme upper portionfree and unobstructed, for the greater convenience of the operator whiledepressing that end of the device with his fingers. The side walls ofthe receiver 13 terminate at its lower end at the point of juncture withthe side walls of the containingchannels when the receiver is in itsnormal position. In such position its floor is inclined at a suitableangle to insure the descent of the types. The lower extremity, b, of itsi'loor also projects some distance into the type-channel A, and ispreferably curved convexly, so as to guard the types gradually andgently into position therein. The type-containing channel is alsopreferably inclined suiliciently to cause each type, when depositedtherein, to lean against the nextpreceding type. \Vhen the upper end,I), of the receiver B is depressed, its curved lower extremity, b", isthrown forward in the type-containing channel, as indicated by dottedlines, Fig. 2, thus forwarding the whole column of type within thechannel a distance equal to the thickness of the number of type that mayhave occupied the extent of motion or stroke of the said lower end ofthe receiver. W'hen the pressure upon the upper end, b, of the receiveris withdrawn, the device is returned to its former position by aretractile spring, a, or a counterweight, f, one or both of which may beused for this purpose, if desired. As shown in the drawings, thecounteiwveightf" is attached to the under side of the curved lowerextremity, I)", of the receiver B. \Vhen thus againinits normalposit-i011, it will be observed that a space is left in thecontaining-channel between the last type and the curved end I)" of thereceiver sufficient to accommodate several types before it will be againnecessary to depress the upper end of the receiver in order to forwardthem. Owing to the relative angles and inclinations of thecontaining-channels A and the receiverconduit 1), and to the convexcurvature of the lower extremity or pusher portion, if, of the receiver,these types as they descend one after the other arrange themselvesnaturally in an upright position one against another; or, if one shouldfallback against the end b of the receiver, the convex curvature of saidend b" prevents the exposure of its face to the heel of the nextdescending type, which latter, by striking against its side, will raiseit against the end of the column, and be in turn thus raised, and so onuntil the space is filled.

It is not designed to make the stroke of the lower end, I), of thereceiver greater than that which will be equal to the thickness ofacornparativel y few types, say five or six; otherwise the first typesdescending after the re tractilemovement of the pusher might becomederanged before reaching the rearof the column. It will thus be seenthat the necessity for depressing the receiver every time atype isdeposited is obviated; and where several receivers are united togetherin a series, as hereinafter set forth, the distrihuter is ena' bled,upon an average, to dispose of aconsiderable number of types beforerepeating the operation of forwarding the types, since in ordinarycomposition even the most frequent- 1y used letters are interspersedwith a much larger number of letters of other denominations. \Vhere aseries of receivers are thus arranged, as above indicated, so as to movetogether, they may be attached to a common plate, pivotally supported insubstantially the same manner as the single receiver shown, and havingtheir respective receiving-suri'aces 0 arranged upon different levels,substantially as in the case of the stationary receivers shown anddescribed in our applications Nos. 78,535, 131,261, and 146,776. Underthese circumstances the coupling-plate G will be in the form of acontinuous plate provided with a suitable number of the downwardly-projecting tongues c, and all the channels will be secured by a simplebelt or key, (1, of suitablelength. A single rod, b, of proper lengthwill also answer as a common fulcrum to all the receivers B included inthe series.

Each receiver B is provided over the lower part of its receiving-surfaceZ) with a looselyhinged guard, G, under which all the types have to passin order to enter the conduit 1). This guard, while it yields before atype that may be resting upon one of its edges, tends to trip such typeover upon its broad or flat side, when, if it is of the right thickness,it will be inposition to pass under the positive gage H, situated nearthe lower extremity of the conduit b,- but should the hinged guard G-fail to trip such irregularly-situated type, or should a type of greaterthickness than that of the proper denomination have been inadvertentlydropped into the receiver, the said positive guard H will prevent itsdescent into the containing channcl, and it will be held opposite thedepressions or recesses h h in the side walls of the conduit 1), whichrecesses h afford convenient access to the fingers of the operator tocit-her turn the type upon its side or remove it, as the case may be. Byarranging the hinged guard diagonally across the receiving-surfaee, asshown, its tendency to turn misplaced types is greatly enhanced.

The type-containing channels A are formed with nicks in one of theiredges to designate the font of type for which they are adapted, Fig. 7,for instance, indicating the number 31.

The advantages of a type-distributing apparatus in which the use of allauxiliary power is dispensed with are of especial importance when theapparatus is used in connection with our improved type-setting apparatusdescribed in Patents Nos. 254,019 and 271,711.

Since the setting and distributing apparatus are necessarily related andconnected in practical use, our system of setting and distributing isthus adapted to the requirements of small printing establishments, whereno power is available, as well as to those of the larger establishments.The whole operation of distribution is also more completely within thesupervision and control of the operator than Where aconstantly-vibrating forwardingpusher is employed, since he can morereadily detect and rectify defects or mistakes.

If preferred, the receivers, when combined in series upon a common plateor support, may

be made to vibrate for the purpose of forward-V ing the types by meansof a treadle and connecting-rod, or in any other well-known manner.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In combination with a type-containing channel substantially such asdesignated, a vibrating type-receiver adapted to conduct types into thesaid channel and pivotally supported with relation thereto in suchmanner that its vibrations will forward the types, substantially in themanner and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with a type-containing channel and a type-receivingconduit capable of vibration for the purpose and substantially in themanner described, a coupling-plate constructed substantially in themanner and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with a type-containing channel'and a type-receivingconduit capable of vibration for the purpose and substantially in themanner described, a retractile device for returning thereceiving-conduit to its normal position, substantially in the mannerand for the purpose described.

4. In a type'receiving conduit substantially such as designated, ahinged guard or typeturning device, arranged and operating substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose described.-

LOUIS K. JOHNSON. A. AUGUSTUS LOW.

WVitnesses:

GEo. W. MIATT, WM. GARDNER.

